Nearly all Cindy LaCava's milestones have involved her home away from home. She's collected 50 years worth of memories at Queen of Peace Catholic Parish, and pinning down just one favorite one was impossible. As Queen of Peace celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, LaCava and others are reminiscing about what was and looking forward to what will be. For her part, LaCava said she attended the first school at the parish, was married to James LaCava in 1973 at the church, which was dedicated in 1970, and she played guitar with a guitar group. "I sang my first solo there," she added with a laugh. "I have five kids and all of them were baptized there." Queen of Peace is like home for her, she said. The parish was originally established in 1957 by Bishop Leo Pursley to serve Catholics in eastern St. Joseph County. The Rev. Milford Bell, founding pastor, celebrated Sunday Mass with parishioners at Twin Branch School while the school was being built. Frank Freeman, who's attended the church since it began, said he remembers when daily Mass was held at the rectory in the dining room. And once the school was finished the "green room," which amounted to a meeting room, served as a chapel. Dedicated in 1958, the school amounted to the green room and four classrooms, where children were taught by the Franciscan Sisters of Mishawaka. "It was a wonderful place to go to school," said LaCava. "I had great friends and camaraderie. We only had four classrooms, and everyone knew everyone else. You couldn't get away with anything." She said she counted the sisters who taught at the time as her friends, especially during her seventh- and eighth-grade years. In 1963, the Rev. Michael Vichuras replaced Bell, and he began a fund drive in 1968 to build a church and gym. Eight years after the church was dedicated in 1970, the parish paid off its mortgage. But as the church was dedicated, the school closed down. Freeman said the Franciscan Sisters withdrew from the school, and Vichuras believed the parish couldn't afford to pay lay people to run it. Vichuras retired after 15 years and died in 1991. The Rev. Camillo Tirabassi came on the scene in 1978, and his tenure was marked by three devotions: one to the Eucharist, one to Mary and one to youth. In 1988, Tirabassi was reassigned to the Corpus Christi parish in South Bend. The Rev. Elden J. Miller succeeded Tirabassi, seemingly bringing with him mounds of ideas to improve the infrastructure of the church. Carol Cone, pastoral associate for the parish, called Miller "a great money manager." During his tenure, the parking lot was resurfaced, the gym's concrete floor was replaced with tile, stained-glass windows and other windows were installed, a new roof and a new heating and air-conditioning system were added and more. Miller also is credited with opening the Mustard Seeds Preschool in 1998 and later reopening the school for kindergarten through second grade in 1999. "There was a lot of mixed emotions about reopening the school," said Freeman. "Some people were set against it, and there was a number of us who were for it because we believe in Catholic education." Each year following the school's opening, a new grade level has been added, said Freeman. "Once it got going after three or four years, the parish started pulling together, and now it's seen as a vital part of our parish as a whole," he said of the school. In 2006, Queen of Peace school graduated its first eighth- grade class, he added. In July 2003, Miller retired and was replaced by the Rev. Richard Hire, who remains today. Under Hire's leadership, an addition to the school was opened in the fall of 2006. Three classrooms, school library and administrative space were added. A temporary modular building in the parking lot of the church serves for after-school programs, a religion classroom, Cone's office and the Knights of Columbus headquarters, according to Cone. "We're in a growing area, and we have all this land," Hire said. "We have the opportunity to do a lot." With 920 families currently and close to 16 acres, Hire said it's conceivable the church would have to be expanded if the parish continues to grow as it has over the past several years. And as the school enrollment continues to rise, Hire said the school can be added onto. He said there are plans to do so, but those plans depend on growth of the parish and enrollment at the school. Expansion should, too, come in small doses. "We need to remain financially solvent," Hire said. Freeman said he'd like the church to continue to grow spiritually as well and see different liturgies make their way in. Apart from that, Freeman also wants the youth ministry picked up again now that the school is in full swing. Youth ministries died out over the years with leadership moving from the parish, he explained. Apart from that, he believes the Queen of Peace school will help the parish continue to grow. "I think with the school, we will continue to grow as a viable worship and spiritual place," Freeman said. To those who aren't familiar with Queen of Peace parish, it may seem like parish life centers mainly around the school. But Hire said when a parish has a school it tends to be one of the most expensive portions of the budget, mostly because of staffing. "The school by necessity gets a lot of attention," Hire explained. But at the same time, the parish has many other ministries to offer, according to Cone. Other educational programs include Weekly Parish Religious Education Program, (PREP) and Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). The parish also sponsors several organizations and committees including Wells of Hope, Knights of Columbus, St. Anthony's Circle Funeral Dinners, Jubilee Society and Health Ministry, as well as a number of parish outreach and liturgical ministries. Queen of Peace also has an annual parish bazaar. With all the outreach and liturgical ministries and parish organizations, LaCava said the people of the church "are very friendly people." And there's a core group of people, she explained, "who keep the life and the spirit of the church going." She added, "We need that core group of people." They help with cleaning, decorating, making dinners and much more, she said. "We've always had people willing to chip in," she said. "That's why this parish is growing and why the school opened. We have a core of really hardworking, energetic people."